Miller’s first shift featured him in the middle of a mini-melee in front of the Finnish net. Though he didn’t have a shot on goal in the game, Miller did finish with three hits and was solid on the perfect United States PK.

J.T. Miller is causing a ruckus already. #NYR pic.twitter.com/W3vXzqBqmV

— Snark Messier (@SnarkMessier) February 14, 2025

Trocheck also played a big role on the PK, especially when he and Miller teamed up front to kill the majority of a 4-on-3 disadvantage in the third period. Oh, and Trocheck delivered an absolute bomb of a hit early in the first period. You know, just to let the Finns know that the U.S. was there and serious about this tournament.

It felt like the two Rangers forwards were playing tone-setting playoff hockey. If the Rangers can actually make the final cut into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring, these two wrecking balls will be fun to watch.

As for Adam Fox, it didn’t feel like he was a difference maker over his 18-plus minutes for Team USA. Maybe he was more feeling his way. Perhaps he’s getting used to not being head-and-shoulders better than every other defenseman on his own team. Still, the U.S. power play picked up steam with Zach Werenski running point rather than when Fox did.

Fox did nothing to hurt Team USA, that’s for sure. He just wasn’t a standout. But in the end, that’s OK in a 6-1 victory, when the U.S. pulled away with four goals in the third period.

On the other side, Urho Vaakanainen logged the least ice time — just north of 13 minutes — of any Finnish defenseman. He was minus-2, on ice when Matt Boldy’s perfect deflection make it 2-1 U.S. late in the second period and again when Brady Tkachuk scored his second of the game three minutes into the third period off a feed from Auston Matthews.

Already looking ahead to Saturday, which should be a fun day of great hockey at the 4 Nations Face-Off. First, Sweden and Finland meet in the afternoon at Bell Centre. Then the United States and Canada hook up in the evening.

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New York Rangers news

Brennan Othmann — photo courtesy Hartford Wolf Pack

Former Rangers forward Kaapo Kakko was scratched by Finland. Current Rangers forward Chris Kreider was scratched by the United States.

Since we are at a break in the NHL schedule, we handed out report cards for each of the Rangers forwards.

And in case you missed it, earlier in the week, we graded each of the Rangers goalies and defensemen.

Brennan Othmann is on a heater with the Hartford Wolf Pack. The key Rangers forward prospect has seven goals in his past nine games, including the tying and winning goals in a 4-3 OT win Wednesday.

How about Dave Maloney explaining to us why Jacob Trouba was the “spiritual leader” of the Rangers before he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks?

NHL news

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore is week to week with an upper-body injury that he sustained in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win against Sweden at the 4 Nations.

Travis Sanheim will replace Theodore in Canada’s lineup moving forward. Here’s a look at what the Philadelphia Flyers defenseman brings.

Since Canada is down to six healthy defensemen, the Canadians reportedly have Thomas Harley of the Dallas Stars flying to Boston to be on standby if needed later in the tournament. Per the rules, Harley is not allowed to practice with Canada unless they have fewer than six healthy d-men.

After Juuse Saros allowed six goals Thursday, Finland is mulling a switch to Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen for their clash with Sweden on Saturday.

On the trade rumors front, former Rangers forward Vladimir Tarasenko could be on the move again, this time with the Detroit Red Wings looking into trading the two-time Stanley Cup winner.

The Boston Bruins need to figure out their plan ahead of the trade deadline, with queries reportedly coming in about defenseman Brandon Carlo and forward Morgan Geekie, plus the non-stop Brad Marchand rumors.

Watch the Tkachuk brothers combine to score four goals — two each — for the United States on Thursday.

So with his preferred digits retired by his new team, the veteran forward reportedly will flip the numbers and wear No. 91 in 2024-25 with the Rangers.

F Reilly Smith will wear jersey number 91 for the New York Rangers. Number last worn by Alex Wennberg in 2023-24. #NYR pic.twitter.com/fTU3nrGlXS

— NHL Jersey Numbers (@NHLNewNumbers) August 12, 2024

Smith was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on July 1. The 33-year-old wore No. 19 for his one season with the Penguins, after wearing the same number for six seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights. He had much good fortune with No. 19 in Vegas, scoring 20+ goals three times and winning the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Before arriving in Vegas, Smith wore No. 18 with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers. That number currently belongs to forward Riley Nash in the Rangers organization. Nash played one game with the Rangers last season and spent the remainder of the campaign with Hartford in the American Hockey League.

So, Smith will try something new this season on Broadway.

Related: How Rangers impacted by rival ‘probably moving on’ from 2 veterans

Rangers history with No. 91

Smith will be the sixth player in Rangers history to wear No. 91. Of all the numbers in the nineties, it is the one used most often all-time by the Blueshirts, ahead of No. 90, which three players wore, most recently Justin Richards in 2021.

Interestingly, this will be the fourth straight season a Rangers player wears No. 91. And Smith will be the fourth different player in that stretch to do so, accepting the torch, if you will, from forward Alex Wennberg who wore it last season but signed with the San Jose Sharks in July.

Like his predecessors wearing 91 with the Rangers, Smith could be handing the jersey back soon. Smith is set to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

That said, let’s examine the first five players to wear No. 91 in Rangers history.

Markus Naslund – 2008-09

The best player to wear No. 91 for the Rangers was also the first to do so. Markus Naslund, the former Vancouver Canucks captain who scored 395 goals and 869 points in the NHL, wore 91 during his one season in New York, his final one in the League.

Naslund wore No. 19 when he played for the Canucks and was one of the elite forwards in the NHL. After signing with the Rangers, he switched digits because Scott Gomez already had No. 19. That sweater number was not retired until 2018, so after Gomez, it was also worn by Ruslan Fedotenko, Brad Richards and Jesper Fast.

But we digress.

Naslund scored 24 goals and had 46 points for the Rangers in 2008-09, his 10th straight season with at least 20 goals. He retired even though there was another year remaining on his contract.

Evgeny Grachev – 2010-11

Next to wear No. 91 for the Blueshirts was Evgeny Grachev, though not for long. An intriguing forward prospect, who scored 16 goals with Connecticut in the American Hockey League, Grachev played only eight games with the Rangers in 2010-11. He never recorded a point and played for the St. Louis Blues the following season.

After scoring one goal in 26 games with the Blues, it was back to Russia in 2013-14 for Grachev, who played the remainder of his career in the KHL.

Sammy Blais – 2021-2023

It took 11 years before another Rangers player wore No. 91. Sammy Blais took it after being acquired from the Blues in the Pavel Buchnevich trade. Blais wore No. 9 previously in St. Louis, but that number was already retired in honor of Adam Graves and Andy Bathgate by time the energetic forward arrived on Broadway.

Blais was limited to 54 games over two seasons with the Rangers because of a knee injury. He never scored a goal with the Rangers and ended up with nine assists.

On Feb. 9, 2023, Blais was sent back to the Blues as a part of a package for defenseman Niko Mikkola and the next player to don No. 91 …

Vladimir Tarasenko – 2023

Vladimir Tarasenko was happy to take over No. 91 from Blais since that’s the number he wore with great success for the Blues for 11 seasons, including 2018-19 when they won the Stanley Cup.

Unlike Blais and Grachev before him, it didn’t take long for Tarasenko to score his first goal wearing No. 91 for the Blueshirts. Tarasenko lit the lamp in his Rangers debut on Feb. 10 against the Seattle Kraken at MSG. He went on to record 21 points (eight goals, 13 assists) in 31 regular-season games with the Rangers, and four points (three goals, assist) in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games.

Tarasenko left after the 2022-23 season, signing as a free agent with the Ottawa Senators. After being traded ahead of the 2024 deadline, Tarasenko helped the Florida Panthers win the Stanley Cup last spring. He scored the series-deciding goal in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers.

Alex Wennberg – 2024

Like Tarasenko, Alex Wennberg was a trade-deadline acquisition, who also wore No. 91 in New York. Unlike Tarasenko, Wennberg didn’t have a connection to the number after having worn 41, 10 and 21 previously for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Panthers and Kraken.

Wennberg was a solid third-line center, who played well defensively and on the penalty kill. He did not, however, produce much offensively, scoring one goal in 19 regular-season games and one in 16 playoff games. However, his lone postseason goal was the memorable OT winner in Game 3 of the conference final against the Panthers.

HEADED TO THE TARASENK-SHOW!

The #RedWings today signed forward Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract with an AAV of $4.75M. pic.twitter.com/ZLR93snIdW

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) July 3, 2024

Tarasenko and Kane are reunited after each was acquired in separate trades before the 2023 trade deadline by the Rangers. Each finished the the 2022-23 season in New York though neither veteran was re-signed once it was over.

When Rangers general manager Chris Drury traded for Tarasenko and Kane there was much excitement and hope that the new star power could help carry the Blueshirts on a deep run in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But the aging stars with four Stanley Cup rings between them at the time couldn’t boost the Rangers, who flamed out in the first-round, losing to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

Though Tarasenko and Kane weren’t the main culprits, the No.3-seeded Rangers blew a 2-0 series lead against the No. 2-seeded New Jersey Devils and lost the opening-round series in seven games.

Tarasenko was second on the Rangers in that series with three goals and tied for fourth with four points. Playing with a bad hip, Kane scored only one goal against the Devils but was third on the Blueshirts with six points.

The two star wingers played 26 games together between the regular season and the playoffs. Tarasenko had 11 goals and 25 points in 38 games with the Blueshirts between the regular season and postseason, and Kane had six goals and 18 points in 26 games.

Shortly after the season ended, Kane had hip resurfacing surgery. Though he had interest in re-signing with the Rangers after his rehab, New York was up against the salary cap, so he signed a one-year contract with the Red Wings. Kane looked much healthier after the surgery and had 20 goals and 47 points in 50 games with Detroit.

Reportedly, Tarasenko also wanted to return to the Rangers, but that wasn’t an option unless he took a steep pay cut. So, he signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators, who eventually traded him to the Florida Panthers before the 2024 trade deadline. After scoring 23 goals in the regular season, Tarasenko scored five postseason goals, including the series-winner against the Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, before helping the Panthers win the Stanley Cup in seven games against the Edmonton Oilers.

Related: Kaapo Kakko survived NHL Draft but his Rangers future still up in air

Former Rangers populate Red Wings roster

Kane signed a one-year contract before free agency started to remain with the Red Wings. He and Tarasenko will again team up as veterans with championship pedigree, this time on a talented youthful Red Wings team that barely missed the playoffs last season, and are seeking to end an eight-year postseason drought.

They’re far from the only former Rangers that will look to help the cause. In fact, there are now six former Blueshirts on the Red Wings roster.

After signing Tarasenko, the Red Wings have 6 former Rangers on their roster:

Vladimir Tarasenko
Patrick Kane
Andrew Copp
Tyler Motte
Erik Gustafsson
Cam Talbot

That’s a lot of MSG “Welcome Back”s right there #NYR #RedWings

— Lou Orlando (@SweetLouuuuu) July 3, 2024

Defenseman Erik Gustafsson signed a two-year deal with Detroit after completing a solid full season in New Yor. Forward Tyler Motte, who had two different stints with the Rangers, and former Blueshirts goalie Cam Talbot both signed this offseason as well. That’s on top of Andrew Copp who joined the Red Wings two years ago after he helped Motte and the Blueshirts reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2022.

And keep in mind, Detroit has been linked to Jacob Trouba. While that situation has gotten much more complicated in recent days, the Red Wings would be a top destination for the Rangers captain if he is traded.

Of the six former Blueshirts in Motown, Tarasenko and Kane actually have the fewest games played in a Rangers uniform. Yet excitement that came with their arrival on Broadway and eventual letdown of the Blueshirts first-round exit that season still linger.

Now they’ll run it back as teammates again, this time in Detroit. And it won’t take long for the Rangers to get an up-close view of their recent past because they play a home-and-home set against the Red Wings on Oct. 14 (at Madison Square Garden) and Oct. 17 (at Little Caesars Arena).

After all, it was just a couple of weeks ago that the Rangers were two wins away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final, only to lose in six games to the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

Two recent former Rangers played a big part in knocking the Blueshirts out of the playoffs this year, and helping the Panthers eventually outlast the Oilers in an epic seven-game Final.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola each played all 24 postseason games with the Panthers. Tarasenko had nine points (five goals, four assists) and scored the series-winning goal against the Rangers in Game 6 of the conference final. This is his second Stanley Cup after the veteran forward previously helped the St. Louis Blues win their first Stanley Cup championship in 2019.

Mikkola won the Stanley Cup for the first time Monday. The 28-year-old defenseman had two goals and four points in the run, including scoring a big goal in Game 2 of the Final. He was fourth among Panthers defenseman this offseason, averaging 18:39 in ice time.

The Rangers acquired Tarasenko and Mikkola from the Blues on Feb. 9, 2023, a trade that sent forward Sammy Blais and a first-round pick the other way. Each played well for the Blueshirts down the stretch, and Tarasenko scored three goals in New York’s first-round playoff loss to the New Jersey Devils.

So, they weren’t Rangers for long; but were Rangers nonetheless.

Related: Rangers options if looking to trade Kaapo Kakko, move up in 1st round of 2024 draft

Rangers ties to Panthers more than Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola

Beyond the championship roster, the Rangers have other ties to members of the Panthers organization.

Minor league goalie Magnus Hellberg, who was part of Florida’s Black Aces in the postseason, played a couple seasons in the Rangers organization, including three games for the Blueshirts. And former Rangers first-round pick Bobby Sanguinetti is an assistant coach with Charlotte, which is Florida’s affiliate in the American Hockey League.

Three other former Rangers players play key roles for the Panthers. Former defenseman Bryan McCabe is Florida’s Director of Player Personnel and ex-forward Shane Churla is the Director of Amateur Scouting for the Panthers. Their long-time broadcaster Randy Moller, was a Rangers defenseman from 1989-92 and was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Jay Wells, who helped the Blueshirts win the Stanley Cup in 1994.

The Panthers goalie consultant, Francois Allaire, is the brother of Rangers longtime goalie guru Benoit Allaire. And assistant general manager Gregory Campbell is the son of former Rangers coach Colin Campbell, who was also an assistant on Mike Keenan’s staff in 1993-94.

So, there was a bit of the Rangers in that Stanley Cup celebration.

Now, Chris Drury and Co. is charged with making sure next time it is a pure Rangers celebration as the last team standing.

But Mikkola sure picked a doozy of a time to score the biggest goal of his NHL career Monday night.

The 28-year-old shocked everyone when he scored for the Florida Panthers in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers. It was an absolute beauty and it was a clutch goal, too, tying the game 1-1 at 9:34 of the second period. Florida went on to win 4-1 and it now has a 2-0 series lead.

Well, maybe the Oilers shouldn’t have been shocked. Mikkola scored twice in a Nov. 20 game against them this season, so three of his five goals this season were against the Oilers.

Mikkola absolutely buried a slap shot off a drop pass by Anton Lundell off the rush on left wing, beating Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner low and to the glove-hand side. It was a goal-scorer’s goal, potted by a player who had one goal in 41 career playoff games entering Game 2 of the Final.

The former Blueshirt nearly was the goat, as opposed to the hero, for Florida earlier in the shift when he spun a backwards pass in his own end right on goal, where Sergei Bobrovsky made an alert stop. Mikkola was shaking his head after his miscue, coming that close to scoring an own goal and putting his team in a 2-0 hole.

Instead, he kept his composure, rejoined the play and scored the tying goal.

Related: 2024 NHL trade deadline was mixed bag for Rangers

Niko Mikkola played for Rangers, then helped eliminate them in 2024 playoffs

Mikkola was traded to the Rangers along with Vladimir Tarasenko by the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9, 2023, and played very well on the blue line for New York down the stretch of the 2022-23 season. He averaged 18:42 in ice time over 31 games with the Rangers, and had one goal and two assists. Mikkola added two assists in seven playoff games.

The Panthers signed Mikkola to a three-year, $7.5 million contract ($2.5 million average annual value) last offseason. He played all 82 games this season, averaged 20:02 in ice time and had an NHL career-high 17 points (three goals, 14 assists).

During the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers, Mikkola had one assist against his former team. But he had a strong series with his physical play and with how quickly he consistently turned the puck the other way in transition, helping the Panthers end the Rangers season in six games.

In a bit of Blueshirt irony, Tarasenko, who scored the Game 6 winning goal against the Rangers, assisted on Mikkola’s goal Monday. Tarasenko is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and could be an option for a New York return in 2024-25.

Midseason trade acquisition Jack Roslovic and offseason signing Blake Wheeler will both become unrestricted free agents July 1, and neither is expected to be brought back. Former No. 2 overall pick Kaapo Kakko is eligible for arbitration, and could be a trade chip this summer. That means the Rangers need to acquire at least one right wing, maybe two.

The ongoing search will be particularly pertinent after an Eastern Conference Final exit that saw the offense dry up and a lack of scoring on the right side outside of Alexis Lafreniere. That on top of a years-long experiment to find the right forward to plat he right side on the top line alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, which continues to remain a massive question mark this offseason.

PuckPedia has the Rangers with the 11th-worst projected salary cap space at $12.45 million, which will likely put them out of the running for the headliners among unrestricted free agent forwards like Sam Reinhart and Jake Guentzel, unless a significant contract, like Jacob Trouba’s, is moved this summer, perhaps along with Kakko.

Prospects Brennan Othmann and Brett Berard will get a long look in training camp. Each is knocking on the NHL door, though either might start in a bottom-six role, meaning the Rangers would still need to target a more veteran right wing in the offseason. It would be risky to begin chasing the Stanley Cup next season with a rookie, even a first-rounder like Othmann, starting right away on the top line.

Still, general manager Chris Drury did say they would target all options, both internal and external, when he addressed the media on Friday.

Related: Where Rangers stand after NHL salary cap increases beyond expectations

Right-wing options for Rangers in free agency

With all that on the table, let’s take a look at some potential right-wing candidates with free agency starting in less than a month. Listed in alphabetical order.

Matt Duchene

The Dallas Stars signed Matt Duchene to a one-year, $3 million deal after the Nashville Predators bought out his seven-year, $56 million contract which was supposed to run through 2025-26. Duchene was well worth the value, scoring 25 goals to help Dallas to the best record in the Western Conference.

Now he’ll hit free agency again. He’ll be 34 years old next season, but has largely continued to produce in the back half of his career. He likely sees a jump up from the $3 million cap hit he had this past season, but by how much is the big question.

If he remains in a sub-$5 million range, it could be a fit for the New York Rangers the next few years.

He’s just two years removed from a 43-goal season and has scored 20-plus goals in each of the past three seasons. He’s a primary right winger with top-six experience, logging over 663 minutes in the regular season alongside Mason Marchment and Tyler Seguin. He also adds the ability to play down the middle, which he did for the majority of these playoffs. However, he scored only two goals in 19 postseason games this spring.

Again, not the biggest guy (5-foot-11, 195 pounds), but the Rangers could certainly use someone with his speed and scoring touch. It’s worth noting that 19 of his 25 goals this season came at even strength, an area the Blueshirts have struggled to excel in the past few years.

This would certainly be a needle-mover as he’d slot in on the top line immediately. Dallas would certainly like to keep him as well, so it’ll be curious to see where his AAV ends up.

Anthony Duclair

Anthony Duclair came up through the Rangers organization, debuting as a 19-year-old in the 2014-15 season. He played just 18 games and was subsequently traded to the Arizona Coyotes for Keith Yandle. He’s bounced around a lot in his 10-year career, playing for eight different teams, and will once again be available as his three-year deal comes to an end.

Duclair hit the books at an average annual value of $3 million on his most recent contract, the largest cap hit of his career. It’s hard to think he’ll make too much more than that after an up-and-down 2024 season that saw him struggle in 56 games with the San Jose Sharks before finding a spark after a trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the deadline. He did finish with 24 goals combined.

That’s coming after a 2022-23 season when he logged just nine points in 20 regular-season games after tearing his Achilles tendon. He did, though, rebound to help the Florida Panthers reach the Stanley Cup Final last postseason, when he had 11 points in 20 Stanley Cup Playoff games.

That could translate to a fairly reasonable contract that the Rangers could afford, all while acquiring a player who still has plenty of upside to buy into.

Duclair scored a career-high 31 goals two seasons ago with Florida and is a four-time 20-goal scorer in the NHL. This postseason showed the Rangers could certainly use someone on the right side that has a scoring touch. And his speed would be a nice addition the Rangers lineup.

He’s not the biggest guy (5-foot-11, 197-pounds), which might be a detriment after the Rangers were outmuscled by the Panthers in the conference final, but he’s got plenty of speed and a hard shot. It could be worth a look if the contract is in range.

Danton Heinen

In a similar vein to Sprong, Danton Heinen could be a bottom-six target with potential to play on the top line if necessary.

Heinen posted 17 goals and 36 points in 74 games with the Boston Bruins, rejoining the team that drafted him after several seasons away.

The 28-year-old is primarily a left wing but has played on the right side throughout his career, including a stretch from 2018 to 2020 when he logged most of his minutes at right wing with the Bruins.

He grades out better defensively than Sprong and has gotten run on the top-six, mostly with Boston. In the 2018-19 season, he logged his most ice time to the right of Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. This year he logged over 184 minutes next to David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha.

If the Rangers are hoping to recapture the spark of Frank Vatrano, who found inspired success after seeing consistent top-line minutes next to Zibanejad and Kreider after the 2022 trade deadline, Heinen is a guy who has plsayref that role before and has some offensive upside.

Heinen returned to Boston on an incredibly team friendly one-year, $775,000 deal. He’ll certainly get a pay raise this offseason, but it should still be within the Rangers range

Daniel Sprong

The Rangers would love to nab a top wing this offseason, but there’s simply not many who fit that bill, are available and that they can afford as presently constituted. Daniel Sprong might not be a flashy add, it’s the type of move Drury could make if he wants to bolster the right side, particularly if Kakko moves up to the top line or isn’t coming back.

Sprong posted 18 goals and 43 points in 76 games with the Detroit Red Wings after a 21-goal season with the Seattle Kraken the season prior.

He’s not a great defensive forward, grading out poorly in every season outside of his final one in Seattle, but his offensive rating ranks in the 77th percentile over this most recent three-year span (per Evolving Hockey).

The Rangers third line of Will Cuylle, Alex Wennberg, and Kakko was excellent down the stretch at possessing the puck, but struggled to actually score. Filip Chytil centering that line for a full season, if healthy, will likely bolster the offensive production, but an add like Sprong could also help that unit generate more chances.

The 27-year-old has signed one-year deals with the Red Wings and Kraken each of the past two seasons with $2 million in AAV being his highest cap hit. He’ll likely command a similar value again this offseason, which the Rangers could fit if they wanted to try him on a one- or two-year deal.

Vladimir Tarasenko

Here’s another target for the Rangers, who also briefly played for them. Vladimir Tarasenko was solid but by no means other-worldly in his 31 games with the Blueshirts after being acquired ahead of the 2023 trade deadline, tallying eight goals and 21 points in 31 games. However, he did play consistently with Zibanejad and Kreider, and scored three goals in seven playoff games against the New Jersey Devils.

The Rangers had very little cap space last offseason and thus were unable to re-sign Tarasenko, despite him expressing desire to stay in New York.

"I like everything. I cannot say a single bad word about my time. I enjoyed everything."

Vladimir Tarasenko, who calls the Rangers "one of the top organizations in the league, if not the best," on his time in New York: pic.twitter.com/gsaiv02FrO

— Rangers Videos (@SNYRangers) May 3, 2023

He ended up signing a one-year, $5 million contract with the Ottawa Senators, and now he’s in the Stanley Cup Final with the Panthers after a late-season trade. He scored one goal against the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, the series-winning goal in Game 6. And, of course, he’s a Stanley Cup champion, with the St. Louis Blues in 2019.

This season, the Rangers could have a bit more cap space to work with. If Tarasenko commands another $5 million AAV contract, it could be difficult to fit in, even with the cap going up $4.5 million this offseason. Plus, Tarasenko may be looking for one last long-term deal, which may not be a tree the Rangers want to crawl up with some noteworthy free agents on the horizon in the next few seasons.

However, if the 32-year-old remains in play for a short-term deal, it wouldn’t be a bad fit for the Rangers. He scored 23 goals with Florida and Ottawa this season, and has found success in the postseason on a very successful third line with Anton Lundell and Eutu Luostarinen.

His sharp shot and smooth hands would add a playmaking element that the Rangers lack on the right side outside of Lafreniere. He also has scored 297 goals in the NHL, including 34 just two seasons ago with the Blues.

Two first-place teams, separated by four points in the overall standings. The Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy this season. The Panthers were Stanley Cup runners-up last season.

And these star-laden rosters are coached by two of the all-time best in the game, Peter Laviolette and Paul Maurice.

Go ahead and try to pick a clear favorite in this series.

So, like any great Stanley Cup Playoff series, one of the key deciding factors may reside outside of the star power on each side. Who else will step up or what else will happen unexpectedly that could swing a game or tilt the series one way or the other?

The 2024 Eastern Conference Final is no different in that respect. So, let’s examine X-factors for the Rangers and Panthers in this clash of NHL titans.

Related: What second-round stats say about Rangers vs. Panthers

Rangers X-factor: Third-line forwards

The top-six forwards have carried the Rangers offensively through the first two rounds of the playoffs. Zibanejad and Trocheck each have 14 points, tied for fifth among all NHL postseason skaters. Panarin leads the League with four game-winning goals. Kreider is tied for fourth with seven goals after his incredible natural hat trick in Game 6 of the second round against the Carolina Hurricanes.

But the scoring balance has been extremely top heavy for New York. Though 10 postseason games, the top-six have scored 26 of its 35 goals.

Of course, on one hand, that’s great news. The Blueshirts best players are leading the way. No championship team wins without star production. The Rangers are getting that.

But against the Panthers, if the Rangers can get more production from their third line, that could swing the series. The Rangers have just two goals from their third line in the postseason. Kaapo Kakko scored once in the first-round series against the Washington Capitals and Will Cuylle added a goal against the Hurricanes. Alex Wennberg has not scored a goal, nor has Filip Chytil, though he’s only played once, Game 3 against the Hurricanes, his first after a six-month injury absence.

Despite the lack of production, New York’s third line has played some good hockey overall in the playoffs. They’ve had effective zone time, in essence pinning the opponent in its own zone instead of defending back in the Rangers end.

Against the Hurricanes, the third line was on for one goal for an one against, and had a 16-13 advantage in scoring chances 5v5, a 7-3 edge in high-danger chances, per Natural Stattrick. Those are solid numbers against a quality opponent.

If the third line can pop a few goals on top of that continued strong play, it can make a huge difference against the Panthers. And while the entire line is an X-factor, the real key offensively is Kakko. He’s the most talented of the third-liners and flashed at points against the Capitals and Hurricanes. He has 15 shots on goal and it feels like if he can get one goal, there’s more to follow.

And if Chytil plays in this series, he can be a real X-factor, as well, since the potential is there to be a big boost offensively if he can find his game after such a long layoff.

Florida Panthers X-factor: Vladimir Tarasenko

Sam Bennett almost was the choice here since the talented superpest can help blow up a series in so many ways, not unlike his teammate Tkachuk or Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand.

But the X-factor selection for the Panthers is former Rangers forward Vladimir Tarasenko. The 32-year-old, who won the Stanley Cup in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues, has not made much of an impact in these playoffs. Or at least, not yet.

Tarasenko, who’s largely played on a line with Barkov and Reinhart, is ninth on the Panthers with five points (two goals, three assists) in 11 postseason games. He has only 14 shots on goal, which is 10th among Florida’s skaters. Most troubling is that he’s been held without a shot in five of 11 games this spring.

However, after a slow start to the playoffs, Tarasenko had warmed up a bit with 10 shots in the final five games against the Bruins in the second round.

As the Rangers know, Tarasenko can be a big-time postseason player, one who can play up and down the lineup and can be a difference maker on the power play. His contributions go beyond scoring since he’s disruptive in all three zones.

In 2023, Tarasenko scored three goals for the Rangers in their seven-game loss to the New Jersey Devils in the first round. In the 2019 Cup run, he scored 11 goals and 17 points in 26 games. He has 108 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience, and scored 46 goals in that span.

If he gets untracked, that could be a problem for the Rangers. Tarasenko is seeking his first goal at even strength in these playoffs and his two power-play goals are two off the team lead of four shared by Tkachuk and Barkov.

Perhaps, playing the Rangers will spark another gear in Tarasenko’s game. Keep an eye on an old friend in the Eastern Conference Final.

That being said, that same speculation came with the caveat the Senators would need to retain some of Tarasenko’s $5 million salary in order for the cap-strapped Rangers to bring him back. Well thanks to rules in the collective bargaining agreement, that can’t happen.

Per the great salary cap website PuckPedia, due to the fact Tarasenko was on the Rangers roster last year (as of June 30, 2023) they can’t reacquire him in a retained salary transaction. They would need to wait one full calendar year to do so.

Additionally, for those looking for loopholes or cap magic, that also means trying to involve a third team and having them retain salary before trading Tarasenko to the Blueshirts.

Related: Ducks GM seen at Rangers game increasing trade rumors

Vladimir Tarasenko trade to Rangers unlikely

Tarasenko, 32, is having a nice season with the Senators. Through 55 games, he’s collected 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points. Ottawa is expected to ask him to waive his no-trade clause soon in order to facilitate a trade before the 3 p.m ET deadline on Mar. 8th.

While it’s certain Tarasenko would waive to return to the Rangers, taking on his full cap hit would limit GM Chris Drury to just that one move based on their current available space. The fact that New York has multiple holes to fill aside from a top-six winger, including a third-line center and maybe a depth defenseman, it really makes any reunion impossible.

“Yeah, I enjoyed being here,” Tarasenko said after the Rangers were eliminated last season. “It’s one of the top organizations in the league, if not the best. They do everything for players.”

The Rangers acquired him at 50% salary retention from the St. Louis Blues along with Niko Mikkola prior to last year’s deadline. Tarasenko scored 50 points in 69 games for the 2023-23 campaign. The big right wing notched 21 of those points in 31 matches with the Blueshirts and added 3 goals and 4 points in 7 playoff contests.

At the end of the day, Tarasenko can’t be ruled out as a trade target. But acquiring him at full cap hit just doesn’t make sense for the Rangers this time around.

Despite sitting atop the Metropolitan Division and recently tying the franchise record by winning 10 consecutive games, the Rangers have holes to fill on their roster. But it’s a dilemma for the Rangers. General manager Chris Drury is trying to strengthen a Stanley Cup contender without messing up a good thing, especially with team chemistry.

Will Drury go all in for a top-line right wing, third-line center and third-pair defenseman (or depth defender)? Will he try to go big for one of those positions, likely right wing, and trust that Jonny Brodzinski, Matt Rempe, Will Cuylle and Adam Edstrom are ready for big-time playoff hockey in the bottom six?

Three weeks after Forever Blueshirts posted its original trade board for the Rangers, the ground has shifted some, though no major trades have taken place in the League. So, the players from the original list still remain with their respective teams.

And there are new names cropping up in rumors, including Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton, Seattle Kraken center Yanni Gourde, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Reilly Smith, Nashville Predators defenseman Alexandre Carrier and St. Louis Blues wing Pavel Buchnevich. Each is intriguing, especially Buchnevich, the former Blueshirt, who leads the Blues with 22 goals.

But for various reasons, notably term remaining on their contract past this season, none of those players made our updated list. Neither did Penguins forward Jake Guentzel. That’d be a massive rental, plus Guentzel is primarily a left wing, where the Rangers are stacked.

Related: Assessing recent Rangers’ trades ahead of 2024 deadline

Updated trade board for Rangers ahead of 2024 deadline

10. Jason Zucker – F – Arizona Coyotes 

Previous: NR

Thinking that the Rangers’ No. 1 need is right wing, Zucker makes this list as another option even though he’s had a miserable season in the desert. Zucker has eight goals in 47 games, and only one each in the months of February and January. But he could be rejuvenated getting out of Arizona and playing on a contender. It was only last season when Zucker scored 27 goals with the Penguins. The Coyotes would have to eat half of his $5.3 million salary cap hit.

9. Joel Edmundson – D – Washington Capitals

Previous: No. 15

A perfect stay-at-home third-pair defenseman, one with a Stanley Cup championship on his resume. There aren’t a lot of left-shot defensemen on the market, so that, coupled with the fact he’s a pending unrestricted free agent owed just $1.75 million with the Montreal Canadiens picking up the other half of his contract, makes Edmundson a very attractive commodity.

8. Alex Wennberg – C – Seattle Kraken

Previous: No. 8

The Rangers reportedly have expressed interest in the two-way center who’s scored one goal in his past 16 games and eight on the season. Wennberg plays on both specialty teams and is averaging 18:42 in ice time, though his offensive production is wanting and his face-off winning percentage is just 46.2 percent. The Kraken would have to pay half his $4.5 million salary before he becomes a UFA at season’s end.

7. Anthony Duclair – RW – San Jose Sharks

Previous: No. 7

There’s been little buzz about Duclair ahead of the deadline. It feels like he’ll be traded, set to become a UFA on an affordable $3 million deal, but is a secondary option for many teams, not a No. 1 priority. The former Rangers forward has 11 goals in 51 games but did score twice against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 17.

6. Tyler Johnson – F – Chicago Blackhawks

Previous: NR

Johnson was on injured reserve when our original list was posted, so he was unranked. But he has five points (three goals, two assists) in nine games since returning to the lineup and word is the Rangers have checked in on the two-time Stanley Cup winner, who can play center or wing. The 33-year-old makes $5 million on his expiring contract, so Chicago would need to retain half of the money owed, but Johnson could make for an intriguing fit for the Rangers.

Related: Rangers ‘shutting down’ all Brennan Othamnn, Gabe Perreault trade talk

5. – Mikael Granlund – C – San Jose Sharks

Previous: NR

Let’s start with this, Granlund is owed $5 million this season and next. So, that’d be a big commitment on the Rangers part. But he’s the second most attractive center on this trade board. The 32-year-old has 32 points (seven goals, 25 assists) in 43 games, averaging 20:34 in ice time playing in all situations for the Sharks. He’s been a solid postseason player in 59 Stanley Cup Playoff games and would be an excellent fit as the 3C in New York. But the Rangers likely don’t trade for Granlund if they believe Filip Chytil will come back next season after having this season derailed by an upper-body injury believed to be a concussion.

4. Vladimir Tarasenko – RW – Ottawa Senators

Previous: No. 3

Tarasenko only has two goals in his past 11 games but does have 15 goals and 37 points in 53 games overall. There’ll be a bit of a bidding war for the pending UFA, who would love a Rangers reunion. He was a good fit overall as a rental with the Rangers last season and is a Stanley Cup champion. So, he’d be a good fit on Broadway again. That $5 million cap hit would need to be shared, of course.

3. Jordan Eberle – F – Seattle Kraken

Previous: No. 5

Keep hearing that the Rangers are scouting the Kraken a lot. Maybe that’s because of Wennberg. But Eberle is the player they should target. He’s closing in on 300 NHL goals and 1,000 games played, and is hungry to win that elusive Stanley Cup. He has 13 goals and 34 points in 53 games and is a pro’s pro, so could be a good fit on the top line and one of the power-play units. Eberle makes $5.5 million, is a pending UFA and could negotiate a new deal with the Kraken before the trade deadline. But it’s worth finding out what it’d take to land him.

2. Adam Henrique – C – Anaheim Ducks

Previous: No. 1

Henrique falls one spot simply because it appears top-line right wing is New York’s No.1 priority now that Blake Wheeler is out for the season. But make no mistake, the Rangers would be plenty happy to slot Henrique into their 3C spot. The 34-year-old is an excellent two-way player and has 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 57 games, averaging 17:34 in ice time per night. If needed, Henrique could move up into the top six, too. A pending UFA, he makes $5.825 million.

1. Frank Vatrano – RW – Anaheim Ducks

Previous: No. 2

Vatrano swaps spots with his Ducks teammate Henrique, because the Rangers need to fill their hole at right wing. Vatrano is a logical fit but has a year left on his affordable contract and the Ducks are well aware the Rangers would love to bring him back to Broadway. So, it’s not a simple trade to make. But, with his experience and success playing alongside Zibanejad and Kreider, Vatrano is worth the work to get this deal done. All that and we didn’t even mention the NHL All-Star has a career-high 26 goals this season.

As you can imagine, there’s been plenty of trade rumors over the last month, but the closer we get to the deadline, the more that noise gets louder.

Here’s the latest surrounding the Blueshirts.

Related: Rangers getting physical before trade deadline

New York Rangers Rumors

Since losing Chytil back in early November, there’s been a lot questions on what Drury would do to fill that slot at 3C. Of course, the team was holding out hope the 24-year-old would return, but a setback in January made addressing that hole a top priority.

“It’s a really tough situation. You never want to see a teammate and friend go down like that,” Vincent Trocheck told Forever Blueshirts at the All-Star Game. “It’s scary to see him going through what he has. Obviously, from a hockey perspective, we miss him. But at this point, none of us are really worried about that. All we can do is hope that he’s alright.”

One name that’s bubbled up to the surface is Anaheim Ducks center Adam Henrique, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. Another entering the mix is Philadelphia Flyers pivot Scott Laughton. Of the two, Henrique makes the most sense, especially since Laughton has term left on his deal and the Flyers look playoff bound.

Priorities have reportedly changed thanks to the adequate play of Jonny Brodzinski on the third-line. Brodzsinki just signed a two-year extension, so he’ll be sticking around in some capacity moving forward. Wheeler’s injury on Feb. 15 weakened the right wing position, that was already thin to begin with.

The Rangers have recently sent scouts to watch the Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Ottawa Senators, and Seattle Kraken.

Three wingers that were likely being viewed with binoculars and continue to remain prominent trade targets are Frank Vatrano (ANA), Anthony Duclair (SJS), and Vladimir Tarasenko (OTT). However, NY Post’s Larry Brooks states that center Alex Wennberg (SEA) has been identified as an option for the Blueshirts.

According to Arthur Staple of The Athletic, the Rangers have already placed calls to Seattle about Wennberg and Yanni Gourde. The latter would be a very interesting add, because he has term left on his deal, and would likely spell the end to a current roster player next season. That being said, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has already poured cold water on the idea that the Kraken are trading Gourde.

Additionally, names like center Casey Mittlestadt (BUF) and former Rangers winger Pavel Buchnevich (STL) were mentioned.

Mittlestadt, 25, has 44 points in 56 games this season. Come July 1, he’ll be a restricted free agent, and it’s possible the Sabres aren’t sure they can come to terms. If the Rangers were to acquire him, it would absolutely take a first-round pick for starters, and likely mean the end for Filip Chytil on Broadway.

As for a Buchnevich reunion? I don’t think so.

Let’s not forget, Drury didn’t want to extend him and traded him away to the Blues for next to nothing as one of his first acts as GM. And when Buchnevich made his first appearance at the Garden, they posted a three second ‘Thank You’ video on the Jumbotron.

At least that was more than what longtime medical trainer Jim Ramsay got when he returned with the Montreal Canadiens this month.

There’s no doubt that the Rangers are going to make at least one trade, possibly more by the deadline. Drury would love to add a top-six right wing, plus some depth at center and defense for a hopefully long playoff run.